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Hamels dominates Padres again in Phillies 5-2 win

By WTOP Staff

JAY PARIS
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels felt right at home on Wednesday night. And that’s never good for the Padres.

Hamels, the Phillies’ ace who attended Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego, helped Philadelphia snap a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Padres.

As a teenager, Hamels was at Qualcomm Stadium when the Padres clinched the 1998 NL West title. But he’s seldom given his hometown team a break, as he ran his career mark to 9-2 against San Diego. In his last eight starts against the Padres he’s 6-0.

“I’m not trying to get too high or too low with the emotions of what can transpire during a game,” Hamels said. “I’m just trying to get outs, no matter what the score is for us. I’m not trying to out-think myself or get too hyped up in certain moments or situations and it is working to my advantage.”

Hamels (9-7) struck out nine in seven innings and allowed a run as he scattered seven hits and a walk. It marked Hamel’s 21st straight start in which he was charged with three runs or less.

Over that span he is 8-4 with a 1.86 ERA. Only the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (1.26) has a better ERA.

“His change up was effective when he was behind on the count,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “He just seems to find a way. He has a lot of weapons and something usually works, if not everything.”

Ben Revere had two RBIs and two hits to pace the Phillies.

Yangervis Solarte, Tommy Medica and Cameron Maybin each had two hits for the Padres.

Eric Stults (7-17) took the loss, pitching 4 1-3 innings and giving up four runs and six hits. His 17th loss ties the Phillies’ A.J. Burnett, who lost Tuesday night, for the most in the majors.

Stults retired 12 straight before the Phillies opened the fifth with four consecutive singles. The fourth one, by Freddy Galvis, drove in Darin Ruf and Domonic Brown for a 2-1 lead. After Hamels’ sacrifice bunt, Revere’s two-run double chased Stults and pushed the Phillies ahead 4-1.

“Four sharp innings,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “Then some balls found holes.”

In the fifth, Carlos Ruiz’s sacrifice fly scored Ruf for a 5-1 cushion, after Ruf doubled and advanced to third.

The Padres struck first in the fourth when Maybin’s second hit drove in Medica. After leading off the inning with his second single, Medica stole second base and scored easily on Maybin’s single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RHP Joaquin Benoit threw another bullpen session on Wednesday and manager Bud Black said Benoit could be available to pitch on Friday, when the Padres open a three-game series against the visiting Giants. Benoit hasn’t worked since Aug. 26 because of a sore right shoulder. . Black said there was no update on RHP Tyson Ross and when he might pitch again. Ross is skipping his Thursday start because of soreness in his right arm.

Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins, out of the lineup since Sept. 8 with a strained left hamstring, is increasing his baseball activities. Rollins took ground balls during batting practice.

UP NEXT

Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (9-12, 4.72 ERA), who pitched six strong innings to beat San Diego on June 12, will face Padres LHP Robbie Erlin (3-4, 4.89). Erlin is making his first start since May 17 at Colorado after battling left elbow soreness.

MW NAMES TROPHY FOR GWYNN

Padres icon Tony Gwynn, who died in June, will be honored by the Mountain West Conference next season. Its player of the year baseball award will be named for Gwynn, who was a two-time All-America at San Diego State and also served as its baseball coach. All MW baseball teams will wear a “TG” logo on their uniforms next season

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE

The Phillies have six players with double-digit home run totals after Domonic Brown’s solo shot on Tuesday: Marlon Byrd 25, Ryan Howard 21, Jimmy Rollins 17, Chase Utley 11, Cody Asche 10 and Brown 10. The franchise record was set in 2004 when nine players did it.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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